This invention relates to a process for preparing nitramines and more particularly to a process for preparing chloro substituted nitramines.
Monochloromethyl and bis(chloromethyl) substituted nitramines are useful as comonomers in energetic polymers for use in propellant and explosive binders. J. Majer and J. Denkstein, Collection Czech.Chem.Commun. 31(b), pp. 2547-57 (1966) disclose a process for making chloromethyl nitramines by bubbling dry hydrochloric acid gas through a solution of N-acetoxymethyl nitramines in anhydrous dioxane at 0.degree. C. The process is expensive and difficult to use. It requires cooling and the use of anhydrous solvents It requires the use of hydrogen chloride gas which is dangerous and requires special handling. Additionally, product separation from the solvent-hydrogen chloride mixture is cumbersome.
Therefore it would be desirable to. provide a safer, less expensive, and easier to use process for producing N-chloromethyl nitramines.